A global campaign to mobilise millions of Christians in 100 countries to press their governments to halve poverty by 2015 was launched at the United Nations in October by the Archbishop of Cape Town, The Most Reverend Njongonkulu Ndungane.
NECF Malaysia Secretary-General Rev Wong Kim Kong was present at the launching in his capacity as the vice-chairman of World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) which is spearheading the campaign. (WEA represents 335 million Christians of three million local churches in 121 countries, and a network of 260 Christian relief and development agencies. NECF is a member of WEA.)
Named Micah Challenge, the campaign will mobilise Christians to lobby, campaign and pray for governments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (see box).
Already, national Micah Challenge campaigns are being formed in the UK, Peru, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India and Zambia. As a first step, Christians around the world are being asked to sign an on-line commitment & petition at www.micahchallenge.org
When launching the campaign, Archbishop Ndungane described Micah Challenge as a significant new movement through which global leaders could be challenged to play their part in ‘securing a more just and merciful world.’
His comments were echoed by Salil Shetty, campaign director of the Millennium Campaign at the United Nations, who said that no one was better placed to achieve this than the churches. Churches had the moral authority and the following of many people to make a significant difference.
Katherine Marshall, advisor to the President of the World Bank, told the church leaders at the launch that without the kind of caring and passion typical of churches, the Millennium Development Goals would not be realised.
Stephen Bradbury, Chair of Micah Network which is partnering WEA in spearheading the Micah Challenge, concluded: “Every person on this planet is made in the image of God. Our Creator values and loves each one of us equally. Therefore injustice is a violation of God’s own being.
“The Millennium Development Goals are in harmony with the Christian mandate to give justice to the weak and the orphan, maintain the rights of the destitute, rescue the weak and needy…we in the Micah Challenge will be doing all we can to encourage the world’s governments to deliver on their promises.”
Archbishop of Cape Town The Most Reverend Njongonkulu (kneeling)
demonstrates Micah Challenge’s commitment to cutting poverty by half,
with representatives from Christian evangelical organisations and
Christian social organisations. – Photo courtesy of Micah Challenge
photographer Jim Loring.
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